Women & Power: How to Get Some

Women have more power than ever, says the author of an inspiring new book — and every woman can find her own way to make the most of it.

There's a major cultural shift under way in our country, says demographer Maddy Dychtwald, and it's destined to make our society stronger. It's the rise of the woman, a transition Dychtwald details in her new book, Influence: How Women's Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better. Whether you're reading this article at the office (on your lunch break, of course) or at the kitchen table, you're a woman with power, and you have the potential to make positive changes for yourself and others. Here, Dychtwald explains how far we've come and what's still ahead.

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How are women becoming more influential?
It's hard to believe that our great-grandmothers couldn't vote and that their mothers couldn't own property or even open a bank account — and today we make up 51 percent of working professionals, we represent more than half of all stock-market investors, and nearly a quarter of wives outearn their husbands. More and more women are in positions of power, in the workplace and government, which is improving the lives of and giving more choices to every woman, whether she's a CEO or a stay-at-home mom.

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What changes with women in charge?
Women politicians tend to champion family and community issues, like affordable child care and paid leave and sick days, which are policies that benefit the greater good. And women spend in different ways than men. The best research on this has been conducted in developing countries: A UN study found that 90 percent of women who earn income reinvest it in families and communities — by sending kids to school, or buying clean water and electricity for their communities — compared with only 30 percent to 70 percent of men.

Why does it matter to have women in top positions in the workplace?
First, those companies make more money, which of course profits all the workers! A 2007 Catalyst study found that companies with at least three women on the board of directors perform significantly better than those without women in high positions. It's not that women are better than men; it's that we bring different life experience and problem-solving skills to the table, and diverse groups can take advantage of everyone's skill sets — men's and women's — to come up with better solutions. Research also shows that women are generally more collaborative at work, and as a result all employees experience improved communication and interaction.

How has women's increased influence affected work-life balance?
Companies used to rely on the model of man as breadwinner and woman as breadmaker, so it made sense if they asked employees to put in very long hours because one parent was home with the kids. But now that many families have two working parents, employers are beginning to understand and embrace the need for flexibility — whether that be flex time, flex place, or even flex career. One of the companies that has excelled at this is Deloitte: The accounting/consulting firm allows workers to create customized career tracks based on how intense they want their workload and schedule to be. And 90 percent of employees take advantage! But not everyone is lucky enough to work for a flexible employer; that's at least partly why so many women are dropping out of corporate life to start their own businesses — at twice the rate of men — so they can design schedules that fit their lives.

How do families fit into this picture?
Whether both parents work or not, more work flexibility means that dads are getting more involved at home, which studies show leads to kids who are better-adjusted and have a stronger sense of self. And the cultural shift has affected marriages too, which may be why we've seen a recent dip in divorces: Marriage is moving from a "father knows best" mentality to more of a partnership. Like corporations and our government, which are fast realizing the impracticality of ignoring the talents of half the population, married couples are working together to draw out each spouse's strengths and to see how a team approach benefits them both.

How can any woman harness this new influence to improve her life?
The best way is by achieving financial stability, because self-reliance is key to your emotional well-being and security. When you can rise above the rat race of making ends meet, you gain the time and space to figure out how you want to live your life, and also to turn your sights outward — to get involved in your community and help improve others' lives. You have the freedom to find out what issues matter to you. And whether you're spearheading a PTA fund-raiser or stealing 10 minutes between carpools to help out, you'll discover ways to make a difference. And that, in turn, will make you feel good about your role in your community.

How has the Internet played a part in women's influence?
The rise of technology has been huge for women — and social media seems like it was designed just for us! We're used to meeting up in coffee klatches to swap advice and ideas with our friends, but now with mommy blogs and Facebook, it's like we have virtual megaphones: Whether we aim to share our opinion about local pediatricians or gather support for a political cause, we have an enormous forum. A great example of this is two regular moms who wanted to advocate for a more family-friendly nation: They started Moms Rising, and then they wielded the power of social networking — video clips that went viral, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now their membership has grown to over one million, and they've become a powerful voice in the nation's political conversation.

How can we get men on board in this movement?
Men sometimes think if we're winning, they must be losing. So the key is to show them how a win for women is also a win for men, how we're aiming for a partnership society where the sexes are equal but not the same, and how when we pool our separate strengths, it creates the opportunity for a better society for all.

Learn the facts. "Log on to familiesandwork.org or momsrising.org to educate yourself on family-friendly work policies," Dychtwald suggests. Whatever policies you care about, there are steps you can take to promote change.

Mentor our future leaders. Volunteer through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl Scouts of the USA, or Girls Inc. and be a role model for the next generation. "A bonus is that helping out will in turn empower you," Dychtwald says.